It will be a bright Christmas, according to Eskom’s latest status update posted Monday 22 December.
It will be a bright Christmas, according to Eskom’s latest status update posted Monday 22 December.
The power utility said the power system is expected to remain “constrained but stable” this week and the rest of the festive season and that the risk of load-shedding is low.
“With many industries winding down their business for the festive season, coupled with return to service of some of our power generating units and building up of our emergency reserves, Eskom is confident that it will not have to implement load shedding during this period,” the Eskom media desk said in a statement.
“We will use this period of low electricity demand to intensify our plant maintenance programme.”
Eskom offers the following indication of estimated capacity available from Thursday (Christmas Day) to Sunday:
Wednesday (24 December): The capacity available to meet that evening’s peak demand is 28 817 MW (including open cycle gas turbines) while demand is forecast 26 094 MW.
Thursday (25 December): The capacity available to meet that evening’s peak demand is 28 682 MW (including open cycle gas turbines) while demand is forecast 25 125 MW.
Friday (26 December): The capacity available to meet that evening’s peak demand is 28 679 MW (including open cycle gas turbines) while demand is forecast 24 254 MW.
Saturday (27 December): The capacity available to meet that evening’s peak demand is 27 501 MW (including open cycle gas turbines) while demand is forecast 24 948 MW.
Sunday (28 December): The capacity available to meet that evening’s peak demand is 28 393 MW (including open cycle gas turbines) while demand is forecast 25 529 MW.
Eskom has called on South Africans to conserve electricity at all times an offers the following power-saving tips:
- Unplug all appliances such as computers, coffee machines, television sets and entertainment consoles.
- Fix leaky taps; allowing water, especially hot water, to drip down the drain wastes both water and electricity.
- Replace conventional outdoor lights with motion-sensor lamps for security; they use less electricity because they only activate when the sensor is triggered.
- Switch to solar powered garden lights; they use the free energy of the sun and give your electricity a rest.
- Make sure the back-up batteries on your electric fencing and intruder detection system are in optimal working order; replace them if necessary.
- Set your pool pump to operate for four hours per day – it is enough to keep the pool clean while it is not being used.
- And, make sure the pool pump is set to run outside 5pm to 9pm, the period of peak demand for electricity in South Africa
